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Tag: Mr Femi Adesina

  • Buhari pays tribute to Ohaneze President-General, Obiozor

    Buhari pays tribute to Ohaneze President-General, Obiozor

    President Muhammadu Buhari says he is deeply saddened by the passing of Prof. George Obiozor, the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, worldwide.

    In a statement by a spokesperson for Buhari, Mr Femi Adesina on Thursday in Abuja, he extended heartfelt condolences to Obiozor’s family, the government and people of Imo as well as Ndigbo, at home and in Diaspora.

    Buhari described the demise of the former Ambassador of Nigeria to the U.S, High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus and Ambassador to the State of Israel, as an immeasurable loss to the country.

    The president said that the former Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) had exemplified leadership skills and values as a thoroughbred diplomat.

    The president said that the contributions of the unique leader and strong proponent of peace and a stable polity, who also held other strategic public positions, would never be forgotten.

    He also believed that all those mourning the demise of the statesman, who commanded great respect among his peers in the academia and foreign policy arena, would honour his memory by actively embracing his beliefs and ideas geared towards uniting Nigeria beyond geo-political considerations.

    Buhari recalled fond memories of meeting Obiozor on several occasions and value his endearing sense of patriotism.

    The president said he joined the Igbo nation in ”mourning the irreparable loss of this great son of Nigeria,” even as he prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of the deceased.

  • Buhari hails ex-President Jonathan at 65

    Buhari hails ex-President Jonathan at 65

    President Muhammadu Buhari has rejoiced with former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan on his 65th birthday, Nov. 20, 2022.

    The President, in a congratulatory message by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina on Saturday in Abuja, noted the unique position of the former president in the growth and development of the nation.

    He lauded Jonathan for sacrificing personal ambition for the greater good of the country, and successfully winning the hearts of Nigerians and the world as a man of peace, by carrying on his legacy of truce and amity to many countries.

    President Buhari joined the family, particularly his wife, Patience, and mother, Eunice, in celebrating another milestone in the former president’s life.

    The President recalled Jonathan’s political journey, which he said, had been evidently shaped by the mercies and grace of the Almighty God, starting as deputy governor, 1999-2005, governor, 2005 -2007, vice president, 2007-2010 and president, 2010-2015.

    According to him, friendliness, loyalty, and humility of Jonathan continue to open opportunities for service to humanity while defining a path for the former president to invest in people, institutions, and nations.

    He, therefore, prayed for Jonathan’s well-being and that of his family.

  • Medical Check-up: President Buhari departs for London

    Medical Check-up: President Buhari departs for London

    President Muhammadu Buhari will on Monday depart for London, United Kingdom, for a routine medical check-up.

    Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s spokesman, confirmed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

    The presidential aide revealed that the president would return to the country in the second week of Nov. 2022.

    Newsmen reports that the Nigerian leader, who departed Abuja for Owerri, Imo, after presiding over meeting of the National Security Council in the State House, Abuja, would proceed to London after his official engagement in Owerri.

  • Buhari salutes Afe Babalola at 93, Austin Epunam at 60

    Buhari salutes Afe Babalola at 93, Austin Epunam at 60

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Founder of Afe Babalola University, Chief Afe Babalola, on his 93rd birthday,on Sunday.

    In a congratulatory message issued by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, on Saturday in Abuja, Buhari rejoiced with the renowned lawyer and educationist for lofty dreams, commendable achievements and contributions to the development of the country.

    According to the president, he shares the joy of the occasion with family, friends and professional colleagues of the nonagenarian, who was called to the England Bar in 1963.

    Buhari said that Babalola became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1987, raising the standard of legal profession in Nigeria by dint of hard work, and grooming generation of lawyers that continue to carry on his legacy.

    The president lauded Babalola for his love and care for others.

    He also celebrated him for envisioning and realizing one of the best universities in the country, with world class administration, faculties and departments, especially in health care and following up to provide scholarship for indigent citizens.

     Buhari prayed that the almighty God would uphold the lawyer and educationist in good health and grant him more strength to keep serving the country and humanity.

    In a similar development, Buhari has rejoiced with the family, friends and relations of Rev. Austin Epunam, as the social worker, businessman, and publisher turns 60 on Saturday.

    The president appreciated the grace of God upon the life of the Ndiakwu Otolo Nnewi born cleric, in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra.

    He applauded him for his crusade in dissuading young people from irregular migration through his non-governmental organization, Sweet Home Africa.

    Buhari also lauded the commitment of Epunam to ”the crusade against breast and cervical cancers, which he takes round the country, and beyond.”

    The president wished him renewed vigour in his enterprises, greater health, strength to serve God and humanity for a long time to come.

  • President Buhari to inaugurates Nigeria’s INFF on Friday

    President Buhari to inaugurates Nigeria’s INFF on Friday

    President Muhammadu Buhari will on Friday inaugurate Nigeria’s Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) for Sustainable Development.

    Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s spokesman in a statement in Abuja, said the Nigerian leader would perform the inauguration on the margins of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA77) in New York.

    Adesina said: ”Proposed within the broader Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) is a planning and delivery tool to finance sustainable development at the national level.”

    According to him, the INFF helps policymakers lay out a strategy to increase investments for sustainable development, manage financial and non-financial risks, and ultimately achieve sustainable development priorities.

    ”While a country’s national development plan spells out what needs to be financed, the INFF shows how it will be financed and implemented.

    ”For Nigeria, the INFF is also expected to help in the recovery from the effects of COVID-19 pandemic as well as help address lack of an integrated approach to financing SDGs.”

    This has been a key challenge to meeting the financing requirement, estimated at $100 billon over the next 10 years.

    According to Adesina, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development presents an ambitious, complex and interconnected vision that countries around the world have committed to working towards.

    ”Realizing this vision will require mobilization of a diverse range of public and private resources.

    ”The INFF is a tool to help countries strengthen planning processes and overcome existing impediments to financing sustainable development at the national level.

    ”It helps governments and their partners to build more integrated approaches to financing, Strengthening the alignment between public and private investments and longer-term sustainable development objectives.

    ”It builds greater coherency across the governance of public and private financing policies.”

    The presidential aide affirmed that Nigeria committed to be a champion of INFF and officially began the design process as an INFF pioneer country in 2020.

    To steer the implementation process, he said, Nigeria set up the INFF Steering Committee chaired by the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning (MFBNP), represented by the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning.

    Members of the committee include the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, the Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation,

    Others are the Director General of the Debt Management Office, the Statistician-General of the National Bureau of Statistics, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, the UN Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme.

    The Head of Development Cooperation of the European Union mission, the Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund, the Country Director for the World Bank, and the Co-Chair of the Private Sector Advisory Group are also members.

    Adesina revealed that those expected at the inauguration include some Heads of Governments, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed and representatives from countries and international Organisations.

  • President Buhari mourns ex-IGP, Mustapha Balogun

    President Buhari mourns ex-IGP, Mustapha Balogun

    President Muhammadu Buhari has joined family, friends and associates in mourning the death of former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mustapha Balogun.

    In a condolence message by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina on Friday in Abuja, the president also mourned with the Nigeria Police Force, an institution Balogun spent the better part of his life serving.

    Buhari recalled that Balogun, during his tenure as IGP, did his best to ensure that the police performed its statutory responsibilities under a democratic dispensation.

    He also said that Balogun’s penchant for boosting the morale of officers and men in the Force had been acknowledged by those who served under him.

    According to the president, his thoughts and prayers are with the family, the government and people of Osun, as well as former colleagues of the deceased police chief.

    He prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of the departed.

  • ECOWAS Summit: President Muhammadu Buhari departs Abuja to Accra

    President Muhammadu Buhari will on Saturday in Accra, Ghana, attend an Extraordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on the political situation in Mali and other parts of the sub-region.

    The Summit will hold at the Presidential Palace, Accra, also known as the Jubilee House.

    Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s spokesman, confirmed this development in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

    According to Adesina, the Summit is expected to review progress made by Mali’s military junta on the return of the country to democratic rule.

    ”The Heads of State will also review the situation in the Republics of Burkina Faso and Guinea,” the presidential aide added.

    Adesina disclosed that the president would accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, National Security Adviser, retired Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno and Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i.

    The president is expected back to Abuja same day at the end of the Summit.

    Newsmen reports that the heads of state and government met in Accra on March 25, under the chairmanship of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana and Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority.

    That summit was convened to review the recent political developments in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso since the last Extraordinary Summit held on 3rd February 2022 in Accra.

    Newsmen reports that the authority in a resolution noted that the security and humanitarian situation in Mali continues to deteriorate with attacks by terrorist groups resulting in military and civilian casualties.

    It noted that during the last mission of the ECOWAS Mediator to Mali from March 18 to March 20, the Transition Authorities proposed a 24-month timetable, that is, two (2) years in addition to the 18 months that have already elapsed.

    The Authority noted that, in view of the global political and security situation, there is an urgent need to reach an agreement in order to avoid further deterioration of the situation in the country.

    It also regretted the non-availability of the President of the Transition to physically honour the invitation extended to him to participate in the Summit in order to find a solution to the current situation in Mali.

  • President Buhari celebrates with WAEC at 70

    President Buhari celebrates with WAEC at 70

    As the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, marks its 70th anniversary, President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday rejoiced with them.

     

    WAEC holds its 70th annual council meeting in Abuja from March 14 to March 18.

     

    The president’s spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, stated in Abuja that the Nigerian leader also expressed joy that Nigeria is a proud founding member of the foremost examination board for the people of West Africa.

     

    “The president affirmed that as a proud founding member of the foremost examination board for the people of West Africa, Nigeria values the shared commitment with other members of the Council,” he stated.

     

    According to him, Nigeria will continue to engage with other partners to achieve the Council’s mandate of maintaining quality educational standards that prepare the next generation to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

     

    In his words: “The president also noted with delight that for the last 70 years, WAEC had brought English-speaking West Africans together to encourage academic and moral excellence through qualitative and reliable educational assessment.

     

    “The Nigerian leader urged delegates to the council meeting to remember the core values of excellence, integrity, professionalism, accountability and transparency at the heart of WAEC, and stand firmly by them.”

     

    He asserted that the president believed that as member nations survived a difficult year marked by the COVID-19 and conflicts in some countries, WAEC would continue to thrive as a world-class examination body.

  • Buhari eulogize Osinbajo, as he marks 65th birthday

    Buhari eulogize Osinbajo, as he marks 65th birthday

    President Muhammadu Buhari has praised Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo for his loyalty and dedication to duty, especially in supervising the nation’s economy,

    This, according to him, involves regular interface with heads of public and private institutions, and other government structures to ensure ”synergy and harmony that put the welfare and wellbeing of all Nigerians first.”

    The president made his feelings known in a congratulatory message released by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, on Tuesday in Abuja on the occasion of Osinbajo’s 65th birthday on Tuesday.

    Buhari also noted the worthy contributions of the Vice President to the development of the country as a lawyer, scholar, administrator and pastor.

    He lauded him for working selflessly and sacrificially to bring government closer to the people, and placing the people at the centre of governance by regularly advocating policies that support human development.

    Buhari extolled Osinbajo’s courage, humility and resourcefulness, praying that the almighty God would continue to grant him the strength, wisdom and good health to serve the nation and humanity.